OSHO, I FIND MYSELF MOSTLY ATTRACTED TO WOMEN AND VERY RARELY DEEPLY TO A MAN. I AM A LITTLE BOTHERED ABOUT IT. COULD YOU PLEASE SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

Ma Prem Loka,

SEX HAS BEEN CALLED THE ORIGINAL SIN -- it is neither original nor sin. Even before Adam and Eve ever ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge they were having sex, and all the other animals in the Garden of Eden were having sex. The only thing that happened after the eating of the fruit of knowledge was awareness: they became aware of it. And by becoming aware of it they became ashamed.

Why did they become ashamed? From where did this shame come? They became ashamed because they saw that they were behaving just like other animals. But what is wrong in behaving just like other animals? Man is an animal too. But the ego came in: the fruit of knowledge created the ego. It created superiority, the idea of superiority: "We are superior human beings. These foolish animals, if they do certain things they can be forgiven. But we cannot be forgiven -- this is below our dignity." Sex is such a fundamental activity in nature that the ego of man started trying to get rid of it.

The first thing I would like you to remember: sex is natural. There is no need to make any effort to get rid of it -- although I know a moment comes when you transcend it, that is something totally different. It is not by your effort that you can get rid of it; if you try to get rid of it you will fall a victim of perversions. Because for centuries man has been trying to get rid of sex he has created many kinds of perversions. Homosexuality has arisen because we have deprived people of heterosexuality. Homosexuality was born as a religious phenomenon in the monasteries because we forced monks to live together in one place and nuns to live in one place, and we separated them by great walls.

Still now there are Catholic monasteries in Europe where for twelve hundred years not a single woman has entered -- not even a six-months baby, female baby, has been allowed to enter. What kind of people are living there who are afraid of a six-month-old girl? What kind of people? Must have become very much perverted, must be very much afraid they might do something. They cannot trust themselves.

Homosexuality is BOUND to happen. It happens only in monasteries and in the army -- because these are the two places where we don't allow men and women to mix. Or it happens in boys' and girls' hostels; there also we don't allow them to mix. The whole phenomenon of homosexuality is a by-product of this whole stupid upbringing.

Homosexuality will disappear from the world the day we allow men and women to meet naturally.

From their very childhood we start separating them. If a boy is playing with girls we condemn him. We say, "What are you doing? Are you a sissy? You are a boy, you are a man! Be a man, don't play with girls!" If a boy is playing with dolls we immediately condemn him: "This is for girls." If a girl is trying to climb a tree we stop her immediately: "This is not right; this is against feminine grace." And if a girl tries and persists and is rebellious she is called a tomboy; she is not respected. We start creating these ugly divisions. Girls enjoy climbing trees; it is such a beautiful experience. And what is wrong in playing with dolls? A boy can carry dolls, because in life he will have to meet dolls and then he will be at a loss as to what to do! Loka, this whole phenomenon has nothing to do with you personally. It is a social disease spread all over the world.

Two English gentlemen of the old school were discussing old acquaintances one evening in their London club. "What," asked one, "ever became of old Cholmondeley?" "Why, didn't you hear? Cholmondeley went to Africa on a game hunt, and, by Jove, the chap took up with an ape!" "An ape? Is the old boy queer?" "Heavens, no! It was a female " If it is a female, even though an ape, it is perfectly okay.

We create these conditionings so deeply that out of so much conditioning sometimes people start revolting against them. Sex should be taken VERY naturally -- we have been taking IT very seriously. Either we condemn IT as ugly, animalistic, or we raise it to something divine, but we never accept it as human and we never accept it as fun.

Basically it is fun, it is a good sport! And humanity is going to remain burdened with ugly nonsense if we don't accept its beauty as a sport. It is good physical activity too, and the best of exercises.

You can ask the heart specialists. Now they say sexual activity prevents heart attacks.

One thing is certain, that no man has ever had a heart attack while making love. In every other kind of activity heart attacks have happened, but never making love. Have you ever heard that anybody had a heart attack making love and died? No, never. It is a natural physical activity, and fun, a good sport.

If you take it non-seriously, then there is no need to be worried even if you are attracted to women. Don't be worried -- because your worry is not going to help. It's perfectly okay. In a really free world which is unconditioned by the primitive, ignorant past, in a really enlightened world, we will accept all these things. Yes, once in a while you may love a woman or a man. Nothing is wrong in it, because inside you both are there. Each man is both a man and a woman, and each woman is both a woman and a man, because you are born out of the meeting of one man and one woman. So half of you comes from your father and half of you comes from your mother; part of you is man and part of you is woman.

So there is nothing much to be worried about. It may be that your man part is attracted towards other women, but because biologically you are a woman you feel afraid. No need to be afraid! Take things easily -- that is my basic approach. Take it easy. And by taking things easy one can go beyond them more comfortably, conveniently, quickly, than by taking things seriously. If you take them seriously you become entangled with them, you become burdened with them.

And this is not such a big problem. There are bigger problems, Loka.

The famous Greek shipowner, Ori Oristotle, was having a house built on a large piece of land in Greece. He said to the architect, "Don't disturb that tree over there, because directly under that tree is where I had my first love." "How sentimental, Mr. Oristotle," said the architect "Right under that tree?" "Yes," continued Ori Oristotle. "And don't touch that tree over there either, because that is where her mother stood watching while I was having my first love affair." "Her mother just stood there while you were screwing her daughter?" asked the architect. "Yes," said the Greek shipowner. "But, Mr. Oristotle, what did her mother say?" "Baaa."

There are greater problems, Loka. Your problem is nothing -- at least you are attracted to other women, at least to other human beings. Perfectly okay. A little outlandish, but not too serious. Things like that have been happening always. Now people have become more courageous and they ask questions -- particularly in the West people have become more honest. Now no Indian will ask such a question -- not that things like that are not happening in India, they are happening, but no Indian will have courage enough to ask such a question.

Loka, you asked the question. I am happy. This is sincerity, this is authenticity. One should be able to expose oneself as one is. The West is becoming freer; the East is very much repressed. And because the East is very much repressed it will take a longer time for the East to get rid of its perversions. The West is going to transcend sooner.

When the Queen had her baby, she was being offered congratulations by hundreds of people when a certain gentleman walked by.

"What do you do for a living?" "I'm a photographer," he replied.

"Isn't that remarkable?" said the Queen. "My brother-in-law is a photographer!" "Isn't that remarkable," he said. "My brother-in-law is a queen." Things like that are always happening everywhere. It is part of the human scene. So don't make much fuss about it, and don't get disturbed.

You say: I FIND MYSELF MOSTLY ATTRACTED TO WOMEN AND VERY RARELY DEEPLY TO A MAN.

Good -- at least you find yourself attracted to somebody. There is a possibility of love.

There are people so dull, so dead, so insensitive, that they only feel attracted towards money, or political power, or fame. You are in a far better situation; at least you are not in love with money. Even Ori Oristotle was in a far better situation than the people who are in love with money. But these people are not thought to be perverted. They are the REAL perverts: money is their whole life, their devotion; money is their god.

You are attracted to women: perfectly good. Go deep into relationship with women. If you make an anxiety out of it you will not be able to go deep in relationship with a woman. If you go deep in relationship with women, my understanding is that sooner or later you will find that this relationship cannot be very fulfilling, because two women are alike. And a relationship needs a certain tension to be fulfilling, a certain polarity to be fulfilling. Two women in love, or two men in love, will have a good relationship, but it will not be very spicy. It will be a little dull, monotonous, a little boring.

But if you go deeply, only then will you become aware of these things. Your anxiety will not allow you to go deep, and then your whole life you will remain interested and attracted towards women.

My approach about all problems is that if anything is there, go DEEPLY into it, so either you find the treasure, if it has any treasure, or you find that it is empty. In both cases you are enriched. If you find the treasure, of course you are enriched. If you find it is empty, you are finished with it.

Two women in relationship can't have a very great love affair. It will remain on plain ground; it will not have heights and it will not have depths. So people who are afraid of heights and depths will find it very comfortable, convenient. Hence the homosexuals are called 'gay' people. They look gay; they look far more gay than heterosexuals.

Heterosexuals are always going into turmoils -- more conflict, more fight, less understanding. It is bound to be so, because two women can understand each other far better than one man and one woman can understand each other. Two men can understand each other far better because they are of the same type, but the spark will be missing.

Yes, a certain gayness will be there, but NOT great poetry, not great romance -- mild.

The relationship will be homeopathic. It will not have adventure, surprises: safe, secure, more understanding, less conflict, less nagging.

With a man and a woman there ARE problems -- problems of misunderstanding. They live in totally different worlds; they are two different poles of consciousness. The woman thinks intuitively, the man thinks intellectually, hence there is no meeting. The woman simply jumps to conclusions without going into any process of thought. And the man goes step by step, comes to a conclusion. The man tries hard to come to a conclusion and the woman simply jumps to the conclusion. She has an intuitive feeling. Hence you cannot deceive a woman, particularly not your wife. That IS impossible; nobody has ever been able to do it. She will immediately see through you -- through and through, because her way of seeing is not your way of seeing. She comes from the back door, and you don't know that you have a back door too. You arrange everything at the front door and she comes from the back door and knows all the ins and outs.

The husband comes home prepared. What he is going to say, how he is going to answer -- he rehearses everything. And the moment he looks at the woman all rehearsing goes to the winds and he is almost like a small child, stuttering. Even a very great person like Napoleon was very much afraid of women. His own wife he was very much afraid of, because she would see through and through him.

Man's mind goes zigzag, woman goes direct like an arrow. She does not listen to what you say, she looks into your eyes. She listens to HOW you say it. She sees your trembling hand, she sees your eyes are trying to avoid her. She does not listen to what you are saying; that is irrelevant -- she knows that that is a story; you have managed to put it together on the way from the pub to the house. But she has more attunement with your body language. And your body language is more authentic, because you cannot yet manage to control it, manage to deceive by it. Even great actors are not able to manage the body language.

For example, if somebody talks about women, you may be a celibate and you may be against all relationship and all sex -- that is all in your head -- but somebody can go on watching your eyes. Try this on some friend who is a BRAHMACHARIN, a celibate, against all relationship and sex, and all those ugly things -- just try this on him. Just start describing Sophia Loren naked: all the curves and the beautiful body. And don't listen to what he says, look at his eyes. His pupils will become big -- that he cannot control, that is beyond his control. The moment you say, "Sophia Loren!" his eyes are no more the same.

Watch how he is moving his body: he will sit erect. If he was leaning back he will come forward, closer, to listen. Although he is saying, "Nonsense! What are you talking about? This is all dirty," he is all alert. Just now he was yawning; now he no longer yawns.

This I have tried. Whenever I see that somebody is yawning somewhere, I know now a joke is needed -- and immediately the yawning disappears. Even Sheela comes back from her sleep! Once she is certain that now I am going to talk metaphysics she falls asleep, she goes to sleep, she takes a rest. But the moment I start a joke, even in her sleep she remains that much alert: immediately she is back.

The body has its own language just as the mind has its own language. The spirit also has its own language. A man and woman are bound to be in conflict, but that conflict takes them far away and again and again creates situations for mini honeymoons.

A homosexual relationship is a little saccharine -- too sweet, a little bit nauseating. But a man/woman relationship is always on the rocks. You cannot fall asleep, the other will not allow it. They go on goading each other. And they are such different worlds; THAT is the attraction.

Loka, go as deeply as possible in your relationships with women -- don't be worried.

Soon you will see that there is a different kind of relationship that can exist only between polar opposites. Then go into a deep relationship with a man, because only by going deep in relationship with a man will you be able to know that all relationships fall short. Even the man/woman relationship falls short; it never brings you the contentment it promises.

And only by your own experience -- not by what Buddhas say, not by what I say -- only by your own experience will you one day be able to go beyond all relationships. Then you can be happy alone. And the person who can be happy alone is REALLY an individual. If your happiness depends on the other, you are a slave; you are not yet free, you are in bondage.

When you are happy alone, when you can live with yourself, there is no intrinsic necessity to be in relationship. That does not mean that you will not relate. But to relate is one thing, and to be in relationship is quite another. Relationship is a kind of bondage, relating is sharing. You will relate with many people, you will share your joy with many people, but you will not depend on anyone in particular and you will not allow anybody else to depend on you. You will not be dependent, and you will not allow anybody to be dependent on you. Then you live out of freedom, out of joy, out of love.

You say: I AM A LITTLE BOTHERED ABOUT IT.

Don't be bothered about it at all, not even a little. En joy it. It is not your fault. You have been brought up by Christians, Jainas, Hindus, Buddhists -- it is not your fault. What can you do? You come into a world which is already conditioned, and you come so innocent, so clean, unaware of what is going to happen to you. And your parents start writing on you, and the whole society starts writing things on you. It is not your fault, it is simply symptomatic of an ill society.

We have to transform the society. But the only way to transform it is to transform individuals; there is no other way, there is no shortcut. Enjoy it, it is good -- not enough but still good. It will lead you into heterosexual relationship; that is a little better. Even that is not going to satisfy. Then that will lead you into meditativeness, into solitude, into that beauty, that benediction, which happens only when you are alone.

That's what sannyas is all about: learning how to be alone and yet joyous.